The Treatise of Mark (Mimar Marqe Book 2 Chapter 4)

A continuation in our series from John MacDonald's (1963) translation of the most important book in the Samaritan tradition after the Pentateuch. The central 'revelation' - not merely a midrash but a revelation given around the beginning of the second century - from which 'Samaritanism' itself is derived.

How excellent it was to see the great prophet Moses standing by the sea speaking with Pharaoh, while Pharaoh hardened his attitude - to his own hurt! Moses said to him, "O Pharaoh, give up your evildoing and be at rest. Abandon your wickedness and drive it from your mind. Look at all the retributions brought about as a result of your rebelliousness. Consider the evildoers who preceded you.

Cain and the penalties he experience; his son and what happened to him; likewise the generation of the Flood and of the Tower Builders and what was loosed upon them; then Nimrod who multiplied oppression; the people of Sodom and the burning of them!

If it was your intention to make encounter, make encounter with the various judgements that bring you increasing destruction. He whom you seek is coming out to meet you! God is more righteous than you in what He does to you. You slay yourself - you are your own enemy. Your own words have become your destroyer. Your own deeds punish you. You yourself have amassed evil deeds. Receeive recompense for them all. In truth from the sowing of evils comes a harvest of thorns!"

Pharaoh's attitude was stiffened, and it was as though destruction were saying to him, "Come and be recompensed! Woe to you Pharaoh, O evildoer, for what you have done with yourself up till now. Your weak mind has gone as a result of doing evil deeds."

As for his estate, how can it exist in the world? Woe to Pharaoh the evildoer, for what is to be done to him by the great prophet Moses.

Moses the Man of God said to him, "Where are the astrologers? Let them come and see me now - see how I am going to destroy you at my Lord's command. What did they say to you? That I would be destroyed by them by reasoning of their superiority? Today they shall see who will do the destroying in the sea. They shall ascertain that it is our Lord who is superior! Go, sinner, and prepare yourself, for we shall see the reward of all your doings. Our Lord will destroy you with manifold punishments. If the astrologers say to you that I am the one who will be destroyed in the sea, my Lord has instructed me that you are the one who will perish in it, and you will find out which statement is true, that of the astrologers or that of our Lord."